


Love and Loss

by send_tudes



Series: Oneshots [1]
Category: 15th Century CE RPF, 16th Century CE RPF, The Shadow of the Tower, The Spanish Princess (TV)
Genre: Found Family, Gen, angst is my speciality, dfggsfsdfg sorry, elizabeth is a great mom, everything is sad, i guess??, kate/maria implied, throwbacks to wotr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:01:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25283554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/send_tudes/pseuds/send_tudes
Summary: Short drabble about Katherine of Aragon and Elizabeth of York. Tsp did them dirty. I, of course, am going to make up for it.
Relationships: Catherine of Aragon & Elizabeth of York Queen of England
Series: Oneshots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1831741
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	Love and Loss

Suns would shine and clouds would dance over many corpses, but none such as this.

As Elizabeth of York, queen of England, lay dead in her coffin, her daughter in law, the widowed Katherine of Aragon stared tentatively at her, grace personified in her appearance, yet the inside crumbled to pieces.

For with queen Elizabeth, went the one of the few people who had genuine affection for her. 

First her husband, her security, and now her caretaker, her second mother.

.........................................................................................................................

The sixteen year old Spanish princess sank into low curtsy at the sight of her future mother in law and the lady Margaret.

“You royal highness,” beamed queen Elizabeth, coming towards her and taking her hand. 

“She is a splendid princess, I see.” said the Lady Margaret.

“Indeed, dear mother,” the queen replied, “and so god wills it, the queen of this land when the time comes.”

Compared to the rude surprise her father in law had cared to impose on her, this meeting was a complete contrast.

“I hope you liked your future husband, my lady?” Elizabeth asked.

Katherine nodded.

“Now come, you must greet your sisters.”

...............................................................................................................................................

  
  
  


“Your majesties, the princess of wales.”

Elizabeth reached forward to stroke her daughter in law’s pale face, gently setting an astray lock of hair behind her ear.

“I trust our senora daughter is doing well?”

Her grief was evident. The lines on her face seemed to go much deeper than they had since Katherine had last seen her. Yet her voice was calm and pleasant.

“Her royal highness is tired,” pleaded Dona Elvira. 

“Of course, of course,” said her austere father in law, his hands tight around the shoulders of young Henry. “Beth, will you go?”

“My lord,” nodded Elizabeth and took Katherine into her arms. Katherine went, succumbing to the warmth of Elizabeth’s hold. Her own mother had rarely done so. 

Soon she would be sent away, to marry another stranger, away from the comfort her new family had brought her. If only Arthur lived…

  
  


...........................................................................................................................................................................

It had been a few weeks since the royal funeral. Katherine sat reading, her dearest Maria besides her, when Dona Elvira came rushing in.

“The queen, your highness.”

Katherine quickly rose, brushing off whatever dust had settled on her gown as Elizabeth came in, smiling graciously.

“Your grace,” she curtsied. Elizabeth nodded to her ladies and they left, leaving only the two behind.

“Sit, dear Katherine,” she said, “I heard you were fully recovered?”

“Yes, madam.” Katherine said quietly. “By the grace of god.”

“And we do thank Him for it.”

There was a pause where Katherine slowly fumbled with her fingers and Elizabeth stared outside the window.

“Will this be my ruin?”

Elizabeth turned quickly to Katherine.

“Oh, no, dear child! The will of god never brings about ruin!”

“They say…” Katherine stuttered slightly on her words, “that his majesty will not return the dowry. And my father, he will not have me back. There is nowhere for me to go, is there, madam? I shall forever remain a barren maid?”

Elizabeth took the child’s hand and grasped it.

“When I was your age,” she said quietly, “I had been engaged to first my cousin and the dauphin of France, only to have them cut off. My uncle,” her voice shook slightly, “arranged for me to be married to a prince of Portugal, but that too, failed, when his majesty came to the throne. Do you know how I felt?”

Katherine shook her head.

“I, too, thought that I would forever be alone, perhaps sent to a nunnery. After all, can one really believe the word of a king?

But then, you see, his majesty married me, to unite our two houses. Our marriage and our children were the greatest blessing of my life.”

Katherine thought she saw a tear well up in her eye; to speak of her children, when she had buried one of them but a mere weeks ago. 

“What do I do?”

“Trust, Katherine. Trust in god, trust in your good fathers and trust in yourself.”

“Will you speak to his majesty on my behalf?”

Elizabeth’s expression changed into a merrier one. She leaned in closer.

“He does not say it,” she said, looking over her shoulder briefly, “but I think his majesty intends not to have you sent away, but to resume your title!”

“I beg your pardon, madam?”

“The duke of York,” her eyes twinkled. 

“Young Henry? But the law-”

“Of course, dispensations are needed when dispensations are concerned! His holiness is a friend of ours, you can be assured it will not be an issue.”

“And since the marriage was not consummated...I shall once again be the princess of Wales!”

Elizabeth pulled her into a quick embrace.

“Of course you shall be! Wipe away your doubts, Kate! The country will once again rest secure! And in time we shall have another duke of York!”

It dawned upon Katherine in a few seconds.

“You mean…?”

“Yes!” Elizabeth grinned, casting a quick look at her belly. 

“But madam…would it not be dangerous?”

“Do not worry for me, I am accustomed to it. All queens are. They have to be.”

“May god grant you and my new brother safety.”

“Amen. Now, will you discuss your wardrobe with the Lady Margaret after Mass this afternoon? I have had new clothes brought from abroad and I should like you to choose from them.”

“Madam, I cannot express my gratitude in words,” Katherine said, almost tearful. She wished Elizabeth would never let go. That she would stay holding on to her, protecting her from sorrow and chaos as a mother did.

“There is no need,” Elizabeth kissed her forehead and rose. “I shall see you frequently.”

“As your grace pleases,” Katherine bowed.

“Trust in me, Kate,” Elizabeth said, about to exit. “As long as I live I shall take care of you.”

  
  
  


..........................................................................................................................................................

As the date of the delivery drew nearer and nearer, Katherine felt tension grow in her heart. English women often fell victim to childbed. It was her eighth pregnancy, if she remembered correctly, and word had been that the queen had not taken the care which befitted her. Katherine’s head stayed bent in prayer whenever it could, begging god not to take her mother from her. 

But when could a mere woman defy god’s will?

Katherine was reminded of that, cruelly, on that fateful evening, when Maria’s solemn face looked down upon her in her bed, and she knew.

“A boy?”

“A girl, your highness, named...named in your honor.”

“How does her grace?” Katherine asked anxiously.

“Not well, they say. She has contracted a fever.”

“I…” Katherine climbed out of bed, “I must go and see her.”

“You can’t, your highness!” Maria sank to her knees. Katherine sat down again, her heart sinking down into her chest.

  
  
............................................................................................................................................

_ A miracle. Any miracle. _

Katherine looked at her namesake. The child showed no signs of being able to survive and it was general consensus among the royal household that she would soon join her mother.

“Why did you leave?”

The lifeless body of the queen, for once, had failed to reassure her.

Lady Margaret’s hold on her hand was kind, but all the warmth left Katherine’s heart as it left Elizabeth’s body.

Now, she felt, she was truly alone.


End file.
